Advocacy Update: Alliance Releases Draft CoC Comments

Advocacy Update | September 10, 2012

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September 10, 2012

Alliance Releases Draft CoC Comments

The Alliance has published a draft version of its comments on the interim regulation for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program. The interim rule went into effect on August 30, but the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will accept public comments until Monday, October 1. HUD will then take public comments into consideration when crafting a final regulation for the CoC program (to be released at some point in the future).

In its draft comments, the Alliance makes recommendations and provides HUD with feedback regarding key aspects of the interim CoC rule. We STRONGLY encourage others in the field to submit their own comments! Ultimately, these comments will influence HUD's final regulation, which will shape the tools communities have at their disposal to prevent and end homelessness.

The Alliance has published draft comments to the interim rule in order to assist our partners in submitting comments (instructions for submission can be found on the first page of the interim rule) and to solicit feedback about our comments. If you have thoughts or suggestions regarding the Alliance's draft comments, please email Kate Seif with your feedback! Once we have taken feedback into consideration, we will submit a final version of the comments to HUD.

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the Alliance's comments or about submitting your own comments to HUD.

Congress Reaches Deal on Continuing Resolution

In August, prior to departing for recess, congressional leaders were able to reach a deal on a Continuing Resolution, also known as a stopgap funding measure or "CR," to fund the government beyond September 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

The stopgap measure will fund the government for six months into fiscal year (FY) 2013 at FY 2012 funding levels until they are able to reach a final deal on FY 2013 funding bills. Congress has yet to vote on or pass the measure, though it is expected to do so as soon as this week. The Alliance will keep its partners abreast of any changes to key programs' funding levels that it may include.

It is important to note that money from HUD's Homeless Assistance account (for Continuum of Care and ESG) will not be released until well after March, so the stopgap measure will have no effect on those programs.

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Veteran Housing

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity is holding a hearing entitled "Housing for Heroes: Examining How Federal Programs Can Better Serve Veterans" on Friday, September 14 at 9:30 am ET. The hearing will focus on the barriers that low-income and homeless veterans may face when accessing housing and homelessness assistance. The hearing will feature a variety of advocates from national veteran organizations. We need to make sure as many Members and their staff as possible attend this hearing!

Here's what you can do:

Call your representatives' office. Ask to speak to the person who handles veterans issues. You can reach your Members' office by calling the congressional switchboard at 202.224.3121.

Urge them to attend the Subcommittee's hearing on veterans housing opportunities. Explain the importance of veterans housing programs in your community and the need for Congress to understand the remaining challenges your community faces in order to ensure all veterans have a place to call home.

The federal government has backed a commitment to end veterans homelessness by 2015. In order to honor this commitment, Congress and the Administration must work to ensure that the programs it has in place to serve veterans are working as efficiently as possible. This hearing will be an important opportunity for Members of Congress and their staff to hear about the successes and remaining challenges of the Department of Veterans Affairs' and HUD's homelessness and housing programs.

National Homeless and Low-Income Voter Registration Week

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is sponsoring a National Homeless and Low-Income Voter Registration week from September 30 - October 6 as part of its "You Don't Need a Home to Vote Project." NCH would like to hear from you about your organization's effort to register low-income and homeless constituents to vote!

The Project has also created a manual to help your organization participate in voter registration efforts, including information on Get Out the Vote efforts, voter education initiatives, and a discussion on some of the existing legal barriers to voting that people experiencing homelessness may face.

The upcoming elections offer a fantastic opportunity to get consumers involved in the political process. People experiencing homelessness deserve a voice in the electoral process, but they need your help! Take this chance to learn about voter registration efforts in your community and what you can do to get involved!